Yarn conditioning process and composition therefor



Patented Mar. 11, 1941' PATENT OFFICE YARN CONDITIONING PROCESS AND COMPOSITION THEREFOR Joseph B. Dickey and James G. McNally, Rochester, N. Y., assignors to Eastman Kodak Company, Rochester, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey No Drawing. Application December 21, 1933, Serial No. 247,099

13 Claims.

This invention relates to the conditioning of textile yarns and more particularly to the conditioning of filaments and yarns composed of or anic derivatives of cellulose such as cellulose 5 acetate, cellulose propionate, cellulose acetate propionate, and cellulose acetate butyrate, to render them more amenable to textile operations such as knitting and the like.

As is well known in the manufacture of yarns,

10 particularly those composed of or containing cel lulose organic derivatives, it is necessary to treat the yarn in order to reduce the tendency toward breakage of the individual filaments or fibers when they are subjected to various mechanical strains and to lubricate the yarn in order to 15 facilitate handling in such operations as spinning, twisting, winding, and reeling. It is also necessary to treat yarn to adapt it for use as warp or filling or for the manufacture of various types of knitted fabrics. In knitting, it is particularly important that the yarn be soft and pliable in order that it may conform readily to the contour of the needles and thus produce a closely knit fabric free from such defects as stitch distortion, "pin holes, laddering, and

the like.

Heretofore it has been proposed to employ softening agents such as polyhydric alcohols and similar agents as ingredients of yarn conditioning or lubricating formulas, generally in connection with mineral, animal or vegetable oils. It has been found, however, that most of the known softening agents and the various formulas containing them have certain drawbacks, one of the most serious of which is high vapor pressure,

and in some cases too drastic a solvent action on the yarn. Many of such agents possess slight or insuflicient solvent power for the lubricants with which they are used, and it is accordingly 40 necessary to employ blending agents or emulsifying agents in order to obtain operable yarn treating formulas. In addition, many of the known softening and lubricating agents are insufficiently soluble in water to permit satisfac- 5 tory removal by aqueous scour baths.

This invention has as its principal object to provide an entirely new class of yarn conditioning agents which are particularly adapted for the treatment of yarns composed of or contain- 50 ing organic derivatives of cellulose and capable of preparation of certain of these compounds is of lubricating, softening and rendering such yarns more amenable to knitting and other textile operations. A further and specific object is to provide a class of conditioning agents which augment or assist the lubricating action of vari- 5 ous lubricants when applied to such yarns. A still further object is to provide yarn softening and lubricating formulas which can be readily removed from the yarns by the usual scour baths. A still further object is to provide an improved method for the conditioning of yarns, particularly those composed of or containing organic derivatives of cellulose such as cellulose acetate, whereby the yarn is rendered soft and pliable and capable of employment in a variety of textile operations where complicated designs or stitches are employed. Another object is to provide an improved type of yarn which is especially amenable to textile operations including circular knitting, weaving, spinning and the like. Other objects will appear hereinafter.

- These objects are accomplished by the following invention which, in its broader aspects, comprises the discovery that organic esters having the general formula:

R -o -(cH,),.-ooR o-(om).-o -R wherein R lit and R are alkyl groups, n and a are positive integers not over six may be used as yarn conditioning agents and particularly as softening agents, with or without the addition of animal, mineral, or vegetable oils, in the treatment of yarns composed of or containing organic derivatives of cellulose. We have found that these compounds when employed as described in the detailed examples set forth below have a slight solvent and/or softening action on cellulose organic derivative yarns which renders such yarns softand pliable without at the same time having too drastic an action thereon.

A number of these compounds have been described in the literature. The general method described in J. Amer. Chem. Soc. 57, (1935), and this method may be used to prepare other members of this group of compounds. These esters may also be prepared by esterifying a suitable dicarboxylic acid such as succinic, methyl- 5o a half ester such as ethylene glycol monoacetate,

trlmethylene glycol mono-propionate, tetramethylene glycol mono-butyrate' propylene glycol mono-methoxy acetate, etc., or by treating one of the above esters with a suitable acid chloride in the presence of a base.

In accordance with the invention these compounds maybe applied directly to the yarn during or after spinning, or may be added to the spinning solution itself. We have foundthat these compounds have exceptional solvent powers which enable them to dissolve mineral oils and blown and unblown, drying and semi-drying, vegetable and animal oils and accordingly they may be, and preferably are, employed as ingradients of yarn conditioning or lubricating formulas in conjunction with agents which function wholly or partially as lubricants.

In the following examples and description we have set forth several of the preferred embodiments of our invention, but they are included merely for purposes of illustration and not as a limitation thereof.

Our invention will be more readily understood by reference to the following examples in which typical applications of the invention are set forth.

Example 1 The compound cmwo-omm-oco (eng CO CHB is applied to textile materials (silk, wool, viscose, cotton, cellulose acetate)- by means of a wick, roller, spray, bath, pad, etc. to facilitate their knitting, weaving, spinning, and the like. If the yarn is intended primarily for knitting the amount of conditioning liquid applied may vary from 4-25% by weight of the yarn and if for weaving between 1-5% by weight of the yarn.

Example 2 A conditioning liquid is made up as follows:

and applied to textile materials such as silk, wool, cellulose acetate, viscose, ,etc. as described in Example 1. If the yarn is intended primarily for knitting, the amount of conditioning liquid applied may vary from 4-25% by weight of the yarn and if for weaving between 1-5% by weight of the yarn.

Other examples of yarn conditioning compositions which may be applied to various types of yarns, particularly those composed of or containing cellulose acetate, cellulose acetate propionate, cellulose acetate butyrate, and similar cellulose organic acid esters in accordance with our invention and which render such yarns soft and pliable and especially well adapted for various textile operations, particularly knitting, are as follows:

Example 3 Example 5 Parts .C -O CHr-C 0-0 CaHr-O C 0- Colic-'0 0-0Ofla-0CO-Clh-OCHa-.- 4O Neats-foot 60 Example 6 Clix-CH;

Blown teesced Sutonated soyu bean White mineral oil Oleio aci Ethanolam Wefnr Example 7 A. 20% solution of cellulose acetate in acetone in which is incorporated 1-25% by weight of is extruded through time orifices into an evaporative atmosphere. The filaments thus produced are wound or twisted and wound. .Yarns thus produced are pliable and suitable for knitting.

Example 8 Parts wafer Any of the above compositions may be applied to the yarn intended for use in circular knitting by means of a bath, wick, spray, roller, pad or any suitable means. The amount of conditioning liquid applied may vary between 5-25% by weight of the yarn. Usually, however, the amount of conditioning liquid applied is about 10-15% by weight of the yarn. Yarn composed of cellulose acetate conditioned as described above gives excellent results when used in the circular knitting process.

As will be apparent from the above examples and description the conditioning agents of our invention may be applied by a wide variety of methods. For example, we may employ the agent as an ingredient of the spinning dope from which the filaments are formed, the amount of the agent so employed depending upon a number of factors, such as the particular cellulose derivative used in making the yarn, the solvent or solvent combination used in making up the spinning solution, and the degree of softness or pliability desired in the yarn, etc.

If the conditioning agent is to be applied to the yarn afterspinning, this may be done by bringing the yarn in contact with a wick, roll, or felt wet therewith, or the liquid may be applied by immersion, spray, or otherwise. The particular point at which the liquid is applied may vary. It may, for example, be applied to the yarn inside or outside the spinning cabinet, between the guide and godet roll, between the godet or other roll or guide and the point of winding and/or twisting. In some cases, the liquid may even be applied to the yarn 'atter winding onto cones, spools, bobbins, or the like or by the socalled "bobbin to bobbin method. In the case of staple fiber manufacture, the liquid may be The amount of the agent so employed willvary widely depending upon the results desired, the specific nature of the material to which the agent is applied, the use to which the yarn is eventually to be put and other factors. For example, in a given case where a cellulose organic acid ester yarn such as a yarn composed of cel-- lulose acetate, is intended for knitting, about 4 to 25% or more by weight, based on the weightof the dry yarn, may be satisfactory, while if the yarn is intended for weaving, the amount may vary between about 1 and 5%.

Although in the above examples we have referred primarily to yarn treating compositions containing only the conditioning agent and an oil, other ingredients such as solvents, non-solvents, emulsifying agents, blending agents and the like, may be added within the scope of our invention. Likewise, varioll dyes or other coloring matter may be included in case it is desired to permanently or fugitively tint or dye the material undergoing treatment.

Although we have found it convenient to illustrate our invention by reference to compositions containing specific percentages of the various ingredients, these percentages may vary widely depending upon the particular purpose for which the composition is intended. For example, if it is desired to control the solvent or softening action of the conditioning agent, the amount of the agent may be adjusted as, for example, by reducing the amount of the agent and correspondingly increasing the amount of -oil or other ingredient.

While we have described our invention with particular reference to the treatment of yarns composed of organic derivatives of cellulose such as cellulose acetate, the conditioning agents and formulas described herein are applicable to the conditioning of many other types of cellulose derivative yarns such as those composed of or containing cellulose propionate, cellulose butyrate, cellulose acetate propionate, cellulose acetate butyrate, ethyl cellulose, methyl cellulose, benzyl cellulose and others, as well as to the conditioning of silk, wool, cotton, viscose and other natural or artificial materials.

The term yarn as used herein and in the claims is to be understood as including a single filament, a plurality of filaments associated into the form of a thread, either of high or low twist, single or multiple threads associated or twisted together, composite threads composed of a mixture of natural and artificial filaments or a composite thread formed by twisting together individual strands of natural or artificial materials, 'as well as cut staple fibers produced from natural and/or artificial filaments or threads and spun yarn produced from such staple fibers.

As indicated above, the yarn conditioning agents of our invention are exceptionally good solvents for a wide variety of mineral, blown and unblown, drying and semi-drying animal and vegetable oils such as cottonseed, olive, castor, neats-foot, sperm and other oils. This enables them to be used with any of such oils in making up a variety of yarn treating formulas of varying composition.

The yarn conditioning method and compositions of our invention possess many outstanding advantages. The fundamental and outstanding characteristic of the agents employed in ac cordance with the invention is their ability to soften yarns, especially those composed of or containing organic derivatives of cellulose such as cellulose acetate and render them soft and pliable andamenable to various textile operations, especially operations such as those involved in weaving and knitting where complicated designs or stitches are employed, without too drastic an action on the yarn material. Another outstanding characteristic of these compounds is their exceptional solvent power for a wide variety of mineral, animal, and vegetable oils and their ability to act as lubricating assistants in conjunction with these oils when applied to such yarns. In addition, due to their solubility in water, they may be readily removed from yarns and fabrics by means of the usual aqueous scour baths. By employing the yarn conditioning agents and method of our invention as herein described, one is enabled to obtain highly satisfactory results in the manufacture of yarns and woven fabrics and especially the production from these yarns of closely knit fabrics free from defects such as pin holes, stitch distortion, laddering and the like.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

l. The process of conditioning yarn to render it more amenable to textile operations including knitting, weaving, spinning and the like, which comprises applying thereto a lubricating and softening composition containing as its essential lubricating and softening component an ester having the general formula:

where R R and R are alkyl groups and n and a are positive integers not over six.

2. The process of conditioning yarn composed of or containing organic derivatives of cellulose to render it more amenable to textile operations including knitting, weaving, spinning and the like, which comprises applying thereto a lubricating and softening composition containing as its essential lubricating and softening component an ester having the general formula:

where R R and R are alkyl groups and n and a are positive integers not over six.

3. The process of conditioning yarn composed of or containing cellulose acetate to render it more amenable to textile operations including knitting, weaving, spinning, and the like, which comprises applying thereto a lubricating and softening composition containing as its essential lubricating and softening component an ester having the general formula:

where R R and R are alkyl groups and n and a are positive integers not over six.

4. The process of conditioning yarn composed of or containing cellulose acetate to render it more amenable to textile operations including knitting, weaving, spinning, and the like, which comprises applying thereto a lubricating and. softening composition containing as its essential lubricating and softening component an ester having the general formula:

R o-0(oH,).-0c-R -o-o(om).o( -Iv 2'. a where R R and R are alkyl groups and n softening composition containing as its essential lubricating and softening component diacetate of di(ethylene glycol ester) of sebacic acid.

6. The process of conditioning yarn composed of or containing cellulose acetate to renderit more amenable to textile operations including knitting, weaving, spinning, and the like whichcdmprises applying thereto a lubricating and;- soitening composition containing as its essential lubricating and softening component dipropionate of di(trimethylene glycol ester) of succinic acid.

7. The process of conditioning yarn composed of or containing cellulose acetate to render it more amenable to textile operations includingknitting, weaving. spinning, and the like which comprises applying thereto a lubricating and softening composition containing'as its essential lubricating and softening component diacetate of di(butanediol ester) of glutaric, acid.

- 8. Textile yarns amenable to textile operations including knitting, weaving, spinning, and the like, impregnated with a lubricant containing as its essential lubricating and softening component an ester having the general formula:

R c-o-(cm)..-o (llR C-0(CH:)-0CB' where R, R and R. are alkyl groups and n and a are positive integers not over six.

9. Textile yarns composed of or containing organic derivatives of cellulose amenable to textile operations including knitting, weaving,

spinning, and the like impregnated with a conditioning agent comprising an ester having the general formula: I

where R, R and ii. are allwl groups and n and a are positive integers not over six.

10. Textile yarns composed of or containing organic derivatives of cellulose amenable to textile operations including knitting, weaving, spinning, and the like, impregnated with a conditioning agent comprising an ester having the general formula:

R :o-(cH,).oc-R -c-o-(cmn-oc-m a. a where R R, and R5 are alkyl groups and n and a are positive integers not over six, and a textile lubricant.

11. Textile yarns composed of or containing cellulose acetate amenable to textile operations including knitting, weaving, spinning, and the like, impregnated with a lubricant comprising diacetate of di(ethylene glycol ester) of sebacic acid. I

12. Textile yarns composed of or containing cellulose acetate amenable to textile operations including knitting, weaving, spinning, and the like, impregnated with a lubricant comprising dipropionate of di(trimethylene glycol ester) of succinic acid.

13. Textile yarns composed of or containing cellulose acetate amenable to textile operations including knitting, weaving, spinning, and the like, impregnated with a lubricant comprising diacetate of di(butanediol ester) of glutaric acid.

JOSEPH B. DICKEY. JAMES G. MCNALLY.

CERTIFICATE OF QQ'RREJTIOM Patent No. 2,25h,72. v March 11, 19in.

. JOSEPH B. DICKEY, ET AL. It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2, first column, line 71, Example 5, for --C HOCOCH read C H OCO-:-CH

same page, second column, line 5, Example 5', for "C -0CH read -CH OCH and that the said Letters Patent shouldbe read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Sig1ed and sealed this 15th day of May, A. D. l9b,1.

7 Henry Van Arsdale, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents 

